


No magic for Magica

by LastMafagafo



Category: Disney Duck Universe, Disney Ducks (Comics)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Not Beta Read, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28865787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastMafagafo/pseuds/LastMafagafo
Summary: Someone has been stealing Magica's powers, and she won't rest until she finds the culprit and get her magic back. She just wasn't expecting to receive help from a certain millionaire duck.
Relationships: Scrooge McDuck/Magica de Spell
Comments: 15
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Before you read, I have to be honest and confess I do not own Disney comics and characters, and sadly no one offered me a job to work there. Probably it's for the best, or I would ruin the whole franchise...  
> That said, this is my first dimeshipping fanfiction, although it's not my first Duckverse story (not posted in AO3, sorry). I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> PS: If you came because you are familiar with my Doctor Who works, I'm compelled to warn you that I do not follow the character's personalities from Ducktales (2017). Still, if you enjoy DT and CT being a bickering everything together, I think you should give it a try.

As a black car stopped in front of the five-star hotel, the doorman came forward, with a smile on his lips, and opened the door, extending his hand. A female figure came out of the taxi, all dressed in black: black hat with a wide brim, a black shirt with sleeves folded to the elbows, a black skirt, with black gloves and sunglasses. She could make a lurid figure if it not for her beauty and elegance. She smiled at the poor doorman, and entered, being welcomed by a hotel employee, delighted to see her.

“Welcome, Miss De Spell. How was your flight?”

“Marvelous, darling. Marvelous! Now, where is my room? I need to rest,” she spoke in a very cartoonish manner, but the man didn't seem to notice. 

He walked her to the elevator, trying to take her briefcase for her, but she didn’t let him come a step closer, sending him an annoyed glare. He turned away, embarrassed and a bit afraid of being scorned by her. He fixed his tie, feeling the animosity in that elevator consuming his soul, but Magica seemed unphased.

As the door opened, he practically ran to a suite, at the end of the corridor, opening the door clumsily.

“Here you are, Miss De Spell. I hope the room is your liking.”

She entered and inspected the place. It’s a very nice room. Actually, she had never been in a place as luxurious as that. 

“I thought I asked you the presidential suite when I called you earlier,” she said, making the poor manager freeze.

“I’m sorry, Miss De Spell. The presidential suite was already being used by one of our preferential guests.”

“I hope it’s the Queen of England,” she said, throwing him a cold stare. The man gulped, scared.

“I… I’m leaving you now. Whatever you need us, please call. McDuck Hotels is proud to…”

“Yes, yes, I know. Thank you for now,” she said, closing the door. The poor manager stood outside, feeling pathetic.

Alone, Magica was free to drop that premium guest persona and be a little more like herself. Turning around to inspect the room, she had to admit that Scrooge was a marvelous businessman. That place was amazing! There was a big bed that could fit a whole family of four, a living room with couches and a bar, a piano, and a bloody dining room. That was at least three times bigger than her poor cottage. She opened the suitcase, and Ratface came out of it. The poor craw was suffocating.

The craw flew around the room, spreading his wings. After all those hours stuck inside that suitcase, he was free to breathe some air and move. 

“Finally, boss lady!” he cawed.

Magica rolled her eyes.

“Stop the drama, Ratface. It wasn’t that bad.”

Ratface was sure she wouldn’t say that if she was in his place, but wisely decided to leave that thought to himself.

“Wow! What place is this?” he asked instead, truly admired that his boss could even enter in a place as posh and elegant.

“Scrooge’s hotel. Isn’t it great?”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea mistress? Staying in the hotel of your enemy won’t get you expelled?”

“Stop panicking, Ratface! First, there is no way Scrooge discovers that I am here. Second, when I called I said it was for a great opera singer. They think I’m famous.”

“What if someone finds out you are not even a karaoke singer?”

“Stop worrying, Ratface! No one knows anything about opera nowadays. Even if they find out, I won’t stay here for long, just until we find who is draining off my powers. Then we can go back to Mount Vesuvius.”

“But from all the hotels, why did you have to stay here, and in the most expensive room, nonetheless?”

“If I have to be here, why not also make my enemy lose some money? I’m sure Scrooge will get really angry when he discovers I stayed here and flew away without paying for my stay. Now shut up, and concentrate on the plan.”

Ratface rolled his eyes before joining Magica. He only hoped they could solve things soon and go back home. He knew his mistress was losing her powers and prayed they could solve that without much ado.

* * *

  
Scrooge was trying to reunite his nephews, so they could finally go out and search for the Nix Sapphire. But that mission seemed impossible to accomplish since they were too distracted with the perks of the presidential suite. Louie was taking photos at the pool, while Dewie was discovering channels on the biggest TV that he had ever seen, and Huey was taking his time playing the piano. No one was listening to Scrooge at that moment. No one, except Donald.

“Time to go, lads! Let’s have some adventures. Isn’t it a great day to find a treasure?” asked Scrooge, trying to cheer the boys up and take them back to their only goal going there. Treasure hunting!

“No.”

“Nope.”

“I’m good.”

The boys didn’t even bother to stop what they were doing to listen to their uncle. They were so mesmerized by that place, they all wondered why they didn’t have the chance to do it more often on their trips.

“You can’t be serious!” complained Scrooge, not understanding why they were behaving like that. They’ve never refused an adventure before. “Donald!”

“Come on, boys. We came here to help Uncle Scrooge, remember?” said the duck, trying to make his nephews go back to their side.

“Don’t get us wrong, Unca Scrooge, we would love to help you in your treasure hunting,” said Louie.

“But we are always living adventures with you, finding treasures, fighting monsters...” Huey added.

“And that’s the first time we stay in a hotel room like that. We just want to enjoy it. You understand, right?” finished Dewie.

Scrooge wasn’t pleased, not at all. What was wrong with that generation? In his youth, he had never backed off an adventure like they were doing. But he couldn’t blame them, the room seemed really nice. And that was what he regretted the most! Why did he let the architect project and decorate a room like that? He barely had guests there because that place was too expensive for anyone to afford. So much space that could’ve been used to double and single bedrooms… So many families who could’ve stayed there for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, or summer vacation, and pay for it! Now it was just a luxurious room that kept his family away from real fun outside.

“Donald, can you believe in them?

“Can’t we stay here just for today?” asked Donald, who deep down was also looking forward to spending some time in a luxurious room.

“No! We have to find the amulet as soon as possible and go back home. Time is money, lad, and I don’t like to lose time in something as useless as relaxing in a hotel room.”

“I don’t think we will manage to take the boys out of here today.”

“Bah! This is the problem of the younger generations. They don’t have perspective! Let’s go, lad. Just me and you like the old times,” said Scrooge, already taking his packed backpack to go explore.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Uncle Scrooge. If I let the boys here alone, they could destroy the room. That would be very expensive to repair.”  
Scrooge could picture it. Worse, he could imagine coming back to find the whole hotel destroyed, burning on fire, turned into ruins and ashes. He shivered. That was something he couldn’t afford. 

“Fine. Stay and don’t let the boys put the place down. I’ll be back as soon as I get my treasure.”

Watching Scrooge going out, Donald didn’t wait for another moment to join his nephew in the pool. He also deserved a vacation after all those months of living adventures around the world. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet, and Scrooge is ready to use his deadliest weapon against the witch!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello you!  
> So I forgot to tell you that english isn't my first language, so you will probably find some errors. Feel free to give me tips and help me to improve.

Scrooge got out of the hotel still feeling a bit angry about his nephews not joining him on that treasure hunting. That’s the problem with that generation Z. Lazy kids... Back in his time, he had to work hard to get what he wanted. Maybe that was the problem! His nephews were getting it all easily, not knowing how hard real life was. Let it be, things would change when he got back.

“Mr. McDuck, wait! Are you going downtown?” asked the manager, who followed Scrooge from the lobby.

“Why do you ask?”

“We have a bus to take you there,” said the man, smiling. “It’s about to leave in just a few minutes.”

“I’ve already told you, lad, I don’t wanna spend money on those kinds of things. I have two good legs right here, and they still work.”

“Oh, but that’s free, Mr. McDuck.” he smiled.

“Free?” The man finally got Scrooge’s full attention. “Do you mean I don’t have to pay or none of the guests have to pay?” 

“It’s included in our services.”

“So you mean none of the guests have to pay?”

“Exactly!” smiled the poor manager, proud of his good work.

“You idiot! How am I supposed to have any profit with this hotel if you offer things for free to everyone? We will talk about it when I come back!” said Scrooge, angry, walking to the bus. 

He hated the idea, he truly did. But since it was for free, Scrooge wouldn’t let that opportunity go to waste. Having a seat, he looked at all the other guests who were benefiting from that service without wasting a penny on it. Oh, he was missing so much money! There was a family of three, with two adults perfectly able to pay ten bucks each to go downtown and a baby who could pay at least half the price and still sit in one of his mothers’ lap, leaving an empty seat for another paying guest. Then, there was a husband and his wife sitting on the back, and an elder in the front, who could pay as well. Counting the passenger all dressed in black who was sitting in the corner and him, he calculated at least 75 bucks that were wasted with that stupidity of free van service.

Wait! That person in black was quite familiar. She was wearing a large hat and sunglasses, but he could recognize that black silky hair and that elegant figure anywhere. 

“Magica De Spell!”

She looked at him, noticing the old miser for the first time. She couldn’t believe it, but there was her greatest enemy.

“Scrooge McDuck!”

“What are YOU doing here?” he asked, instinctively checking if his dime was still safe and sound in his pocket. For his greatest relief, he found it. 

“What are you doing HERE?” asked Magica, noticing the old duck was dressed in safari clothes.

Scrooge right next to her, so he could keep an eye on Magica. She was dangerous and sly, and he knew she was planning something against him and his family. Still, he didn’t let her frighten him. In all their battles, he had always been victorious. Even when he thought he would lose his first dime for good, he managed to triumph. No, Magica didn’t represent a thread to him, and Scrooge would never let her think otherwise.

“I’m telling you, Magica, if you came here to steal my dime…” 

“Oh, please, Scrooge! My life doesn’t revolve around you,” she said, turning her eyes to the window. 

As the car started it’s way downtown, Magica saw his incredulous face reflected, staring at her as the world peace depended on it. She was jinxed! That wasn’t any other logical explanation for that. First, her powers were being drained by some powerful source, and when she travels to discover what the problem was, she meets her enemy. Could it be Scrooge the one who was making her powerless? No! Scrooge would never do that. He was a selfish miser, but he had honor, and he would never do such a thing, even to an enemy. Besides, just someone with magical powers could do something like that. Someone crazy, for sure, because stealing Magica De Spell’s magic was the same as having a death wish.

“I know your tricks, Magica! What is it? Food bomb? Love potion?” Scrooge wasn’t convinced by her. She was up to something, he could feel it!

“I don’t have time for the dime now. There is a more important problem to solve now,” said Magica, not bothering to look back at him.

Magica kept looking through the window. They were arriving downtown now, as the streets were filled with people, and the traffic started to get worse. Suddenly, she saw a woman turning the corner of the street. Magica couldn’t see her face, but she emanated a powerful dark magic aura, more specifically a shadow one. That was the idiot who stole her powers!

Noticing the bus was stuck in traffic, she passed through Scrooge, surprising him, and got out, without explaining. She had to make that person, whoever she was, give her powers back, and then pay. Magica ran to that same corner where she saw the woman, just to get a glimpse of her purple white a quarter of distance from where she was. 

“Where are you going, witch?”

“Not now, Scrooge. I’m in the middle of something here,” she half-explained, more interested in tracking that running woman down.

Magica kept running after the purple-haired-woman while being chased by Scrooge, who didn’t trust Magica to leave her alone. It became clear that she was looking for someone who wasn’t him, but meeting Magica there, so far from her cottage in Mount Vesuvius or his bin in Duckburg, couldn’t be a mere coincidence. She must've been planning something, and he was determined to stop her.

“What are you doing, Scrooge?” asked Magica, as she noticed the old duck following her.

“I’m gonna keep an eye on you. Better be safe than sorry.”

“I’ve already told you I’m not after your dime this time. Now get out of my way!” she yelled, passing through him, eager to find that purple hair again, but she lost. “That’s it, Scrooge! I’m gonna kill you!”

Magica turned to him, angry and frustrated, ready to strangle him. Scrooge gulped, nervous. Ops… Maybe he had really angered Magica that time. Actually, he was starting to think that she had been telling the truth.

“Wait, Magica… We can talk” he said, walking backward.

“Talk? TALK?!? You are done, you stupid miser!”

He reached for his backpack, looking for protection. There it was. He grabbed the garlic and showed her. Magica was always powerless when near garlic, so at least he would be spared of turning into a toad for a while.

“Garlic?” Magica laughed. “It doesn’t affect me anymore,” she said.

Scrooge looked at her desperately. What? What did she mean by that? Garlic was his only protection against her. Garlic and his wits. Magica got the garlic from him and pressed it with her hands. She looked at him, as surprised and desperate as he was, and started to cry.

“It doesn’t affect me anymore.” 

Scrooge watched Magica hold that garlic, as it was her life while sobbing uncontrollably. That was weird. Magica was never the type to cry, especially over garlic. He had never seen her like that, so sad and lost. Scrooge reached out, placing a hand over her shoulder.

“Magica, are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

“How could I be okay? I lost it, Scrooge!”

“What did you lose?”

“My powers!”

Scrooge was surprised. She couldn’t be telling the truth! He had always known she was a powerful sorceress. Since their first meeting, years ago, she had been giving him lots of headaches and nightmares. How could she become powerless out of the blue? And if that was the case, what could that mean to him? Was he finally free from her? Would his dime be safe and sound forever? No more schemes! No more witchcraft! No more Magica! Wait…

Magica dried her tears, trying to compose herself. What a loser, crying in front of her enemy. And not any enemy, but the biggest of all: Scrooge McDuck. She raised her head, revealing her crying-puffy-eyes. She was too embarrassed to look at him, though.

“Just forget you saw that. Now, if you excuse me, I must go,” she walked away. The witch was feeling so pathetic that her only desire at that moment was to run away as far as possible from him. He would never respect her as a worthy enemy again.

“Wait, Magica…”

“What? Wanna rub that on my face?”

“What? No! Don’t you know me, lass? I would never do that, even to an enemy.”

“So what?” she asked, still avoiding his eyes.

“Let me help you,” he said.

“Help me? You must be kidding me!” she folded her arms, supporting her weight in one leg while keeping the other bent. 

“No, I’m serious,” he came closer.

“Scroogie dear, I don’t know if you understood what is going on here, but that could be your biggest chance to get rid of me.”

“I didn’t say it would be for free, I’m a businessman after all. Powerless or not, you are still dangerous, and I don’t like having you near me or my family. I’ll gladly help you if you promise to leave after getting your powers back. And when I say leave, I mean you won’t try to steal my dime, at least until I’m back to Duckburg.”

“Fine,” she said, trying to hide a smile. She was glad to know he didn’t lose his respect for her. Not only that, but he still feared she would try to take the dime from him, which could only mean that he still considered her a menace. What wonderful news on such a terrible day! “I promise I’ll not bother you or your family for now. I’m already too tired to try anyway.”

“Right. Now that we have it all settled, tell me what’s going on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's opinions that absolutely no one asked about:  
> I know that Ducktales (2017) also presented Magica without her powers, but I wanted to write it differently. I love CT and DT bickering couple dynamics and I think it fits the comic versions of Magica and Scrooge really well. I wish there was more of that in the show as well, but sadly it never happened.  
> Also, I don't like Magica being evil. She was one of my favorite Disney comics character growing up (the other being José Carioca), and she was created to be different from the other Disney evil witches.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magica needed some ice-cream...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is gonna be short.   
> I'll try to write more next time :)

Magica and Scrooge were sitting outside of an ice cream shop. After watching Magica ugly-cry in front of him, he thought she needed some cheer up. That act of kindness also surprised Magica, at least until he ordered two sea-salt ice creams. It was just a fancy name for seawater turned into ice. Such a miser’s offer! At least he was trying to help.

“So, how have you lost your powers?” he asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I was at home… studying…”

“You mean plotting to steal my dime,” he corrected her.

“Same difference,” she shrugged. “Anyway, I was reading my magic books, when I felt very tired and decided to take a quick nap. The next thing I knew it was the next morning and my powers were gone. All I could do was use my crystal ball to track my powers to this place. I couldn’t even fly my broom! I had to take a commercial flight to come here!”

“How can that be?”

“I don’t know! Just the council can take our powers away. It takes a very powerful sorcerer to do the job.”

He agreed, remembering the few times when he faced the magic council. They were scary, he could tell that, but they were also prideful, and they loved to show off. They would never take Magica’s powers away without stating their purpose clearly to her. 

“Do you know someone who could do it?”

“The only sorceress as powerful as I am is my friend Min, but she would never do that. She is one of the few witches who doesn’t hate me.”

“O-kay... Could it be someone from your family?”

“Please! They are not that powerful!” scoffed Magica. 

Her sisters were pathetic, her cousins as well. Adelia was powerful, but she was just a fairy, and fairies don’t have the guts to do something as evil. Minima was powerful for her age, but not good enough to do the job. Her grandma was too absented-minted to pull that trick, and she was clearly more concerned about Magica getting married than anything else. It could be Rosolio… Ha! No way! That weakling would never pull it off. No matter how hard Magica thought about it, she couldn’t think of anyone who could be that powerful. Unless…

“Wait! There is another way!” she said, raising up. “An amulet!”

“An amulet?” 

“Exactly! But that's tricky. An amulet can amplify a witch’s power, but it will need special ingredients to do it, and it’s never easy to get.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about the Midas Touch. I can only have it with the power coming from powerful symbolic items that belonged to the richest people in the world. And there is just one outcome from it: infinite gold. I couldn’t use it to bake a pie, for example.”

“So if the person who stole your powers used an amulet, this person must have used something just as powerful, or meaningful to create it! But what?”

“I have no idea,” she said, sighing. “If only I knew who this person is…”

That moment a raven came cawing in their direction. It was poor Ratface, exhausted, and in need of some rest. He was surprised to see Scrooge there, near his mistress, so, as a very loyal raven, Ratface didn’t hesitate in protecting Magica from the old duck. He threw himself over Scrooge’s face, trying to scratch and distract him.

“Go, boss lady! I can take care of him!” yelled the raven, attacking poor Scrooge.

“Get off me!”

“Ratface, stop!” said Magica, taking her familiar out of Scrooge’s face. She held Ratface in her hands, and the confused raven was completely out of breath. “Scrooge is on our side.”

The raven looked from his mistress to her enemy, trying to understand what was going on there. Scrooge didn’t seem very happy, but he wasn’t attacking Magica either. The bird masked his embarrassment, landing on Magica’s shoulder.

“Where were you, Ratface? I thought you were following me,” she said, ignoring Scrooge’s grunts.

“I followed the purple-haired woman, boss lady.”

“You did? You beautiful bird!” Magica hugged her raven, happy.

Scrooge watched that, astonished. He thought Magica wasn't able to express gratitude like that. Actually, he didn’t even know Magica was able to hug someone. Maybe losing her powers had made her extremely emotional.

“She is in a castle in the woods. But without your broom it will take some days,” said Ratface.

“I don’t care!” she said, letting go of the bird. Finally some good news! She was feeling energized! “You come, Scrooge?”

“Sure,” he said, following her. “But keep your pet far away from me!”

“Ratface is not a pet! He is my familiar. It’s like family, but I like him,” she explained. “Now, show us the way, Ratface!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't remember how amulets work in the comics universe, so I made my own rules. Please, just roll with it...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the journey begin!

Magica and Scrooge were driving through the forest, being led by Ratface. She was lucky that Scrooge had rented a car because she wouldn’t know what to do. Magica was so used to riding her broom everywhere that she forgot to elaborate a solid plan to chase her power’s thief. In the end, his presence there wasn’t all that bad.

“So how was this car perfectly available to us?” asked Magica, leaning on the door, watching Scrooge drive. 

Just a few minutes before, when they were still in town, Scrooge took her to meet a guy and got that car for them to use. She didn’t remember the guy well. But he probably knew who she was, since he wasn’t much friendly with her. Honestly, she didn’t even bother to care.

“I was supposed to use it before meeting you.”

“Same reason why you are wearing this ridiculous safari outfit?”

“Ay… No! That’s not ridiculous!”

“Oh, please, Scrooge! That's atrocious! If I had my magic I would turn it back to your red coat. At least that old thing isn’t ridiculous! This jumper belongs to some bad 70s movie.”

“What about you?” he asked, judging Magica's all-black outfit, especially her absurdly huge black hat. 

“Me?”

“You are all dressed in black, with that ridiculous hat. You look dreadful! Like an old lady meets a gothic kid. What happened with your usual dress?”

“I was trying to blend in! Look more normal.”

“With that? Do you have no fashion sense?”

“Shut up! I’m already regretting teaming up with you!” she said, folding her arms. They couldn’t stay together for a minute and they started to argue. “Why are you here anyway?”

“I’m helping YOU!”

“No, I mean, why aren’t you in Duckburg as always? Have you finally decided to get some vacations?”

“How funny!” he scoffed. “You know I don’t do vacations. Actually, I was treasure hunting!”

“You are doing that again? Don’t you have enough old artifacts with you?”

“Is less about the treasure, and more about the adventure, dear,” he explained, smiling. 

Anyone who knew the name Scrooge McDuck was aware that the old duck was the adventurer type, always willing to pay risks while traveling around the world with his family. 

“So, what was it this time?”

“The Nyx Sapphire. I heard it’s hidden in here.”

Magica laughed. She couldn’t contain herself. But Scrooge was confused by her reaction, and a little bit worried about how her lack of powers could be influencing her mental health.

“Scrooge, darling, you know this thing is just a legend, don’t you? I can’t believe that a man as intelligent as you would believe in that nonsense. I mean, if that Sapphire really existed, it would be so powerful that it could be able to… Wait! That’s it, Scrooge! You are a genius!”

“What?”

“Nyx is the goddess of night and darkness for the greek gods. She is the daughter of chaos, and the mother of discord, and dream.”

“Yeah, I know, Magica. I studied a bit of mythology as well,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Do you know what else comes from the darkness and chaos? Black magic!”

“Wait, Magica… You don’t think that someone is using it to steal your powers? A minute ago you were saying the sapphire is a hoax.”

“Maybe I was wrong. It looks like you will have your treasure hunting in the end,” she smiled.

“Yes, it looks like it,” he smiled back.

Their happiness was disturned by Ratface, who was thrown right to the windshield. Not only the poor raven was tired, but he had also already traveled through that path twice on the same day, and that was a third. He needed to rest. Especially after being smashed into the car. He also had an announcement to make, something that he knew would displease his mistress.

“Boss lady, we have a problem. A storm is coming, and I think it will be a big one.”

“It’s just rain, Ratface. I can’t see why you are so worried.”

“He’s got a point, Magica. Storms are dangerous. Besides, driving here in the middle of the rain would just get us stuck somewhere. It’s better to stop and wait for things to get better,” said Scrooge, thinking rationally. 

Magica sighed, agreeing with them. What else could she do? Two against her was a great disadvantage, especially considering she didn’t have her powers back yet. Scrooge found a safe spot to stop the car, and Ratface came inside. Soon the first drops of rain started to fall over the ceiling. Just as fast as the rain came, it became stronger, and it looked like they were parked under a waterfall. It turned out that Scrooge and Ratface weren’t wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was short...  
> Well, I'll give you another chapter then!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ratface talks too much.

“So what do we do, then?” she asked, watching the rain wash the windows.

“I have food in here,” Scrooge pointed at his backpack. 

There were a bunch of sandwiches he had packed before he knew his nephews would bail on him. Magica accepted his offer. She had never realized how hungry she was before that moment.

As for the poor Ratface, he didn’t even bother to eat. He just sat over the headrest of the backseat and fell asleep, completely exhausted. Magica felt a bit guilty to push him that hard. She was so eager to regain her powers that she ignored her raven’s wellbeing. Ratface was a faithful friend, and she truly appreciated it, even if she didn’t say that often.

There was silence inside the car, the only sound being the rain falling over the roof. She was stuck there, eating sandwiches with her greatest enemy. The worst part was that Magica didn’t hate it as much as she thought she would. 

“You came really prepared,” she said.

“Ay. As I said, I was planning a treasure hunt with my nephews.”

“Oh, right! You said that...” That was some awkwardness in that conversation. “Why aren’t they here?”

“They preferred to “chill” in the hotel room. Looks like our adventures aren’t that exciting anymore. Teenagers…” Scrooge rolled his eyes, annoyed.

“I know how it is! My niece Minima is just the same. Every time she comes to visit me she is more interested in dressing Ratface as a pet than learning magic spells with me.”

“As a pet?”

“Yeah. She used to do that when she was a kid as well, but now she posts his photos on Instaduck too. Looks like pet ravens are very popular.”

Scrooge smiled.

“I think we are becoming old, Magica.”

“Speak for yourself, darling!” smiled Magica, having another bite. 

“How are you feeling, lass?”

“Still hungry. Can I have another?” she asked, and Scrooge laughed.

“I mean about your powers.”

“Frustrated, and angry. Even between us witches, stealing somebody’s powers is completely off-limits. There isn’t a bigger crime.”

“Don’t worry, we will get your powers back, that’s a promise.”

“A Scrooge McDuck’s promise. You can’t break that now,” she smiled. “Honestly, Scrooge, I know you are just helping me because you don’t trust me, but I’m glad you are here. Without you I would probably be five miles behind, drenched and hungry.”

“I don’t think so. You are smart and creative, Magica. Even when I put my anti-witch defenses in the money bin, you always find a surprising way to break in.”

Magica blushed, trying to avoid his gaze.

“Well, I think we've complimented each other enough for one afternoon. Maybe for our whole lives. Do you mind if I take a nap? I’m as exhausted as Ratface, and this storm doesn’t seem to end soon.”

“Go on,” said Scrooge, as he watched Magica snuggle up in her seat. 

It didn’t take long for her to sleep. She was exhausted! Losing her powers made her weaker, but hunting that unknown enemy was also pretty tiring. The storm sounds also made her relax, especially the thunders. And knowing she was safe and dry inside that car was also comforting. Scrooge’s presence didn’t bother her at all. Actually, she liked to know he was there with her. But that was something she would never admit, even to herself.

As for Scrooge, he ate another sandwich, watching Magica sleep. She seemed so peaceful there, all curled into herself, he almost forgot how dangerous and threatening Magica was. Yes, she had lost her powers, but Magica had always been much more than her magic tricks. She was witty and resourceful, smart and cunning. If only she wasn’t obsessed with his dime, she would make a powerful ally. 

“If only you weren’t evil, Magica…” he lamented.

“She is not evil.”

The raven’s voice startled Scrooge. He wasn’t expecting Ratface to answer him, since he supposed Magica’s familiar was sound asleep. But as the bird flew to the steering wheel, it became clear that Ratface was pretty much awake. Scrooge just wondered how long it had been…

“Bagpipes! You surprised me!” complained Scrooge.

“Sorry, not my intention. I just wanted you to know that the boss lady is not evil.”

“Bah! You say that because you work for her,” augmented Scrooge, being a bit more grumpy than usual.

“But that's true. She had never done anything evil in her entire life. Aside from trying to steal your dime, Magica had never done anything truly bad.”

“Isn’t that enough? Trying to steal someone’s precious thing looks very evil to me.”

“That’s not her fault…” said Ratface, surprising himself for saying too much. The bird hoped Scrooge didn’t pay much attention to that or even didn’t care, but the old miser was smart, and his curiosity had always given him the best outcomes, both in business and in his private life.

“Care to explain that, Ratface?”

“I… It's better not. She will kill me if she catches me telling you,” the raven looked scared, but Scrooge knew Ratface only needed a bit of encouragement to spill the beans.

“She won’t. Look at how she sleeps, she will never know if you don’t tell her. I know I won’t.”

Ratface considered Scrooge’s proposal. The truth was that he wanted to tell the old man for a while now the true nature of his boss. He knew she wasn’t bad, but because of that stupid quest of hers people had been calling her evil witch and he knew it didn’t serve Magica right. She could be called a witch, although Ratface considered his boss more of a sorceress since she was always studying the dark magics, never relying on only talent and energy like the other witches. But being called evil wasn’t right. 

Although a bit rude and bossy, she had always shown Ratface affection and friendship. She also loved her family, though she would never admit it. She even liked Rosolio, but in a friendly way. She had also worked as a teacher several times, and Ratface had never found someone truly evil who was willing to share their knowledge with others. Even Scrooge, with the rivalry and the dime, had a place in Magica’s heart. That’s why he decided to share some truths.

“You must know why Magica wants your dime...”

“Sure. It’s all about that amulet to make her rich.”

“Yeah, but that’s only part of it. The amulet is the way she can prove herself a witch. It’s a task the Council gave her to prove she was worthy of the title.”

“But I thought she was already a witch.”

“She is. The most powerful one. But years ago, when she was an apprentice, she used her magic to protect animals and help people. It’s more of a fairy doing than a witch, so she was given the task to collect every billionaire’s coins and make it into an amulet to prove herself.”

“I do remember the first time she came to my office. I thought she was insane! She called herself a sorceress and wanted to buy a dime with a dollar.”

“Yes. That's my point. She tried to buy your dime first, only trying to steal it when you refused.”

“I sold her a dime! That wasn’t my first, but still…”

“I know. And that was enough to finish her mission. She even got the amulet once…”

“She did? Then why is she still coming after me?”

“Pride? Despite? Resentment? Purpose? How should I know? I just know that she is only evil with you.”

Scrooge looked at Magica. Could she be only evil to him? If so, why? Why just for him? It would be so much easier if they teamed up. It would be so much better for both of them! He could even give her a job and pay her a minimum wage. With Magica by his side, he could do such great things! Wonderful things! But he knew that would never come true. Not while she was such a stubborn duck.

“Please, don’t tell her I said that,” asked Ratface.

“I won’t. I give you my word.”

Ratface smiled, pleased, and went back to the backseat to sleep a little more. As for Scrooge, he couldn’t stop thinking if Magica could be different from what he had always taken her for. As much as he thought about it, more he agreed with Ratface. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magica and Scrooge must keep their journey

When the first sun rays appeared in the sky, Magica woke up still feeling a bit tired. She had lost more of her power through the night, even if she had been avoiding wasting her magic unnecessarily. She noticed she was reclined over something soft and warm, so she grumbled a little, not wanting to fully wake up. Just five more minutes wouldn’t make much difference anyway. But she also noticed whatever she was leaning on kept moving and producing a low snore. She opened her eyes, surprised, to find herself snuggled on Scrooge McDuck’s chest. 

Magica raised up immediately, startled. What the heck was she doing? Why was she sleeping with her enemy in such an intimate way? The adventures of the previous day popped back to her head, and the witch remembered that the old duck was helping her to get her powers back. That still didn’t explain the compromising position they were in, or why she liked it so much. Although she would never talk, or even think about that again. Her sudden movement woke Scrooge up, so she made her best to lie on the door side, very far from him, and pretend she was still sleeping. Anything was better than confronting him after waking up in his arms. 

“Magica, are you awake?” asked Scrooge, tapping on her shoulder.

She pretended to wake up, yawning loudly.

“What?” she murmured, trying to sound a bit grumpy, even though she was feeling more ashamed than anything.

“The sun is out. Time to keep our journey,” he said.

She raised up and finally looked at him. Since Scrooge was acting normal, she supposed he hadn’t realized how they were sleeping before. She was relieved because finally she could brush it off and act normally again. But there was a small part of her that not only wanted him to know, but also to invite her to sleep in his arms a little longer. What? What the heck she was thinking again? Losing her powers was probably driving her crazy! She would have to act on that before things got even weirder.

“Great! We better go now,” she said, sitting straight. “RATFACE!” she screamed, startling Scrooge.

“Here boss lady!” said the poor raven, who had just woken up and was still trying to figure out where he was and what was going on.

“Are we too far from that castle?”

“No. Just a mile or two.”

“Good. Lead the way! And you follow him, Scrooge.”

“Can’t we even have some breakfast?” asked Scrooge, stretching himself. He was too old to sleep in a car. 

“I don’t have time for that! And I also know that you eat bread and drink rainwater every morning, so I bet you won't miss skipping this meal.”

“Fine! I didn’t want to spend more food with you,” he mumbled, turning on the car. The engines started to work, but as he stepped into the pedal, the car didn’t move. Scrooge tried again, but they seemed to be stuck.

“Oh, that’s great! Now even that doesn’t work!” complained Magica, folding her arms.

“It’s probably because of the rain yesterday. I guess we will have to walk,” he explained.

“Walk? In these shoes? I don’t think so,” said Magica, turning away from him.

“As you wish. That is not my power that was stolen anyways,” he shrugged, pretending not to be phased by her childish behavior.

“Fine! Let's walk then…” 

Magica got out of the car, slamming the door with some violence, trying to show how frustrated she really was. She started to walk by herself, doing her best to stand straight with those heels. The hat was left in the car. There was no point in wearing that to face her enemy.

"Bagpipes! What happened to you this morning?” complained Scrooge, following her.

Magica didn’t say anything. Honestly, she didn’t know either. Maybe she was just angry because someone dared to steal her powers. Maybe it was the trouble she had to go through to get her own powers back. It could even be related to waking up in Scrooge’s arms, but she had already promised to never talk about it, especially with him. Actually, she would be happy to forget it when she managed to get her powers back.

They walked apart from each other, not sharing a word. But it wasn’t exactly an awkward silence. After all those years of fighting and getting on each other’s throats, they could at least feel comfortable in their own company. They’ve seen the best and the worst of each other, actually sometimes they were even responsible for their lowest moments, or eventually some good memories as well. So, when Scrooge started to whistle a song, Magica naturally hummed along, harmonizing with him. None of them realized that, but Ratface, who was still leading the way from above, was quite aware of their dynamics.

“Oh! I can feel it!” mumbled Magica, more to herself than to Scrooge.

“What?” Scrooge asked, a bit concerned.

“My magic. We are close now, Scrooge!” she smiled, walking faster in her anxiety to get back what belonged to her.

“Wait, Magica! Be careful!” he called, but she didn’t want to hear anymore, she was too focused on getting to the castle. 

She didn’t even notice the dangerous territory she was venturing in, but Scrooge did. He ran after her, and grabbed her arm, stopping Magica just a few steps to fall into a swamp. Magica was thrown into Scrooge’s arms, and they fell to the ground together. She opened her eyes, noticing him above her, so close they could kiss. Not that she would want to. That would be terrible.

“What was the big idea, idiot?” asked Magica, raising up on a jump.

“You’re welcome. It was a pleasure to save your life,” he muttered, also raising up, while cleaning his clothes.

Magica finally noticed the swamp she almost fell in. Gulping she looked back at Scrooge, who now sported a cocky smirk. She owed him some apologies, and also some appreciation of his heroic act, and he knew that. As her enemy, he could have let her fall and get rid of her once for all, but he didn’t. Magica didn’t know if she could do the same in his place, and for that she was grateful.

“Thank you, Scrooge,” she smiled, granting him the well-deserved recognition.

“I’m glad to help.”

There was something on his eyes, some tenderness, some kindness, that made Magica’s heart race on her chest. She hated feeling that. To end that conversation, she cleaned her skirt, and followed her way, trying to ignore that blush that refused to leave her cheeks. Walking carefully, watching every step, she managed to cross the swamp and get to the castle. On the way, she avoided talking with Scrooge. Still, she was well aware of him following her, and quite enjoyed the song he kept whistling. 

The castle was huge, all constructed with stone bricks. Its walls seemed strong and safe, and the towers almost reached the sky, as tall as the trees, casting an ever-longer shadow over the mossy forest ground. The place seemed abandoned though, as no one entered there for a while. It had even a  drawbridge, just to make it all look even more terrifying. That was the perfect hideout for a coward witch.

“Oh, please! Don’t tell me that the guy who stole my powers has such a bad taste…” she complained.

"That's nothing! You should see my enemies!”

“Is that criticism, darling?” Magica turned to him, her hands on her hips in a threatening pose. 

“Of course not, Magica. If you weren’t creative I wouldn't tell stories of you to my nephews every Halloween.”

“Flatterer…” she smiled. “But come on, there is no time to lose. How are we going to do that?”

“I was thinking about a subtle strategy. Since we connected your powers with the Nyx amulet, we could get in there and steal it. I believe you have some experience with the matter.”

“You know that I do...” she smirked to him, liking his plan.

Magica looked up to the castle, trying to find possible breaking in routes. There were seven towers, but there was one that stood out as the tallest of all. She was pretty certain the enemy was in one of those towers, not only the view was better, but there was no better place to connect with the moon. To take her magic, they needed something powerful to provide the energy. 

“Well, my enemy must be in one of the towers, we just have to find which one,” she said.

“Can you sense it?” he asked.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her magic. It flew around the castle like waves, she could almost sense the energy. She felt it strong in one of the towers, just as she imagined. Not any tower, but the tallest one. The only problem was that the tallest was practically in the center of the castle, meaning there was no way to get there from the outside without a magic flying object. There was only one way: getting inside the enemy’s lair.

“Bad news, Scroogie. My powers go up to that tower right in the middle, and there is no way for me to reach it from the outside.”

“Looks like we are breaking in,” he looked up, concentrating. Magica couldn’t say what he was thinking, but for the first time she was afraid he would back down. Not that she thought she couldn’t face the enemy on her own, but having Scrooge by her side was quite comforting after all. 

“Afraid?”

“Bah! Scrooge McDuck isn’t afraid of anything” he said with a confident smile.

Magica smiled back. She felt a bit more confident to get into that castle. Ratface flew to Magica’s shoulder, also giving her his support. She sighed and entered, her head high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned! Next time I'll review the big baddie!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magica confronts her power's thief.

It was dark inside the castle, but there were some torches lighten up, creating a shadowy environment. The castle’s walls were made of stone, the small windows barely letting the sunlight come in. It was cold too, something quite unexpected, considering the hot weather outside. That was the perfect place to practice dark magic, Magica was almost envious. 

“We have to find the tower,” said Scrooge, taking a torch out of his backpack. 

“It’s that way,” said Magica, pointing to a door. She could feel her magic flowing all around.

Now that she was closer to her enemy, Magica could feel the remaining magic leaving her body little by little. She had no idea who this person was, but she had no doubt that there was something more ancient and more powerful behind it. If Scrooge was right and that power came from the Nyx Sapphire she didn’t have much time. 

She started to walk faster and faster until she was running. Scrooge didn’t fall behind, keeping up her pace. It was almost like he was having fun there. Actually, she was pretty sure he was having a blast. She would turn him into a frog if she could. Still, he didn’t know she was becoming weaker and weaker every second. She wondered how he would react if he knew? Would he care about her?

They crossed hallways, climbed staircases, found hidden paths… That castle looked like a labyrinth! But finally, they got to the main tower, the source of all of Magica’s powers. She could feel it, her energy all around the place, but the fact it was out of her made it all seem wrong and disgusting. It was so strong, that even Scrooge could sense Magica’s power. For him, it was like a scent. Something that reminded him of petrichor, night-blooming jasmine, and star anise. 

“It’s here, isn’t it?” he asked, as they climbed the staircase to the top.

“Yes, it is,” she said, as they reached the final steps, ready to know who was behind all of that.

Right at the top, above it all, was a room, in the form of a hexagon, with windows in each wall. Still, there wasn’t much sun coming inside, since it was mostly taken by Magica’s dark magic. Even holding the torchlight, Scrooge could barely see what was going on, and Ratface went back to Magica’s shoulder, frightened. Magica’s heart was beating fast, and she was also scared, but she hid her own fears. That was no time to show weakness. Suddenly, a dark blue light appeared in the middle of the room, illuminating a female form. It came from a round amulet, made of silver, with a sapphire on the center: The Nix Amulet.

“You finally found me, Magica De Spell.” 

That was the sound of a woman’s voice, full of poise and contempt.

“You…” said Magica, the Nyx Amulet shining brightly and levitating, to show more of the woman’s face.

“Who is she?” asked Scrooge, whispering in the hope that only Magica would listen to him.

“I have no idea,” confessed Magica, being completely honest. She didn’t know who that woman could be.

“What?” asked the woman, who clearly had heard their conversation. “How can you say you don’t know who I am?”

“To be fair, lass, that’s really dark in here,” argued Scrooge.

The woman just rolled her eyes, absorbing the shadows back to the amulet, and letting the sun rays enter. Finally, their enemy was revealed. She had purple hair, blue eyes, and milky white feathers. She was dressed all in black, in a dress that reminded Scrooge of the one Magica usually wears. That was a nefarious smirk in the corner of her beak.

“Now, Magica, tell him who I am!” demanded the young sorceress.

Magica blinked, having some trouble there. The thing was, she had absolutely no idea of what that girl was talking about. If that project of a sorceress didn’t keep calling her name, the raven-haired witch would probably think that was all a mistake.

“Come on! Don’t tell me you don’t remember me,” complained the girl, frustrated.

“Should I?” asked Magica, confused.

“Magica, stop the game. You are driving her mad,” whispered Scrooge, desperate, as he noticed the girl was just about to lose her temper.

“Scrooge, darling, I don’t know if you had noticed, but I’m not the type to play games, especially with someone who has stolen all my powers,” she said.

“I get it! Of course you don’t remember me! I changed a lot since I was a little girl! But I’ll make you remember! I’m Aether!” said the young woman, raising from the throne and opening her arms dramatically.

Magica only blinked, confused.

“Nothing yet?” asked the girl.

The older witch only shrugged, not caring much about that. Ratface was the one who had to come to the rescue. 

“She was your apprentice, boss lady,” said the raven.

“My apprentice? That 's ridiculous!” Said Magica.

“That was one time you brought an apprentice to the money bin. That girl was really good with finances. Is that you, lass?” he asked, turning to the purple-haired girl.

“No! But I see you had more victims…” she stared at Magica, resentment in her eyes.

“I brought an apprentice to the bin? I don’t remember that.” Magica turned back to Scrooge.

“Look at me!” said the girl, through her teeth. “I can’t believe I spent my whole life planning this and you don’t even know who I am! I spent years trying to find the sapphire, and then trying to catch it, and when I did, I still had to learn how to make it turn into this!”

“I call that obsession,” said Magica, folding her arms, unimpressed.

“Welcome to my life…” retorted Scrooge.

“I’m not obsessed with you! It’s all about your dime! If you give it to me I will leave you in peace once for all. You are the one who makes things complicated,” she said.

“That’s what I’m talking about! All the time I worked for you, and you never cared about me! All you care about is him!” complained Aether, angry.

“What? I don’t care about him!” said Magica, almost choking in her own embarrassment.

“You were always nagging me, always saying how useless I was. If I did a potion, it was never good enough. If I cast a spell, you never recognized my potential.”

“What were you waiting for? Claps? A sticker? If you wanted sweetness and tenderness, you should’ve become a fairy,” Magica frowned. “Now that you say, I remember a girl who used to work for me… She used to steal my love potions, never practiced my lessons, and I remember that one time I asked her to do a simple transformation spell and she burned my entire cottage. And there was also this time when...”

“Shut up! I’m done with you, Magica! And this is my revenge!” said the girl, screaming, getting completely out of her right mind. 

She pointed to Magica and lifted her hand. An army of shadows surrounded the older witch, grabbing her arms, and making her standing still. Scrooge tried to reach Magica to help her, but the shadows also captured him. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t fight. All he could do was watch as the last of Magica’s powers was drained from her, leaving her weak and powerless. With the evil done, the shadows released both Magica and Scrooge. He grabbed her just at the right moment so she wouldn’t fall. She looked pale and feverish like she was sick. He had never seen her so powerless.

“Magica! Talk to me! Are you okay?” he called, desperate, as Ratface flew around his boss.

“I am. I just need a quick nap,” she said, clearly not well at all.

“Why do you care about her? She is your enemy as much as she is mine. You should be glad I get rid of her for you,” said the girl.

“You are a coward, lass! As much as she is my enemy, I would never do something like that with her.”

“Then you are the coward here!” said the girl, flipping her hair. “I’m tired of this. Take her away.”

The shadows came back to grab the pair, taking them away from each other. Scrooge made everything he could to stay with her, but they were dragged apart. The shadows took him, Ratface, and Magica to the dungeons, locking them inside a cell.

“Bagpipes! I’m too old for that!” said Scrooge, raising up, and fixing his jacket. 

He was dirty and tired. Also, his back hurt a little with the impact. But he couldn’t care less about his well being when Magica needed him so much. After they threw them inside, she didn’t move a muscle, and that was scaring Scrooge more than death. Magica was a crazy witch, everyone knew that. That meant she never gave up, no matter how many times she failed. And even losing a fight, she had never dropped her head or bent her pride. That was what he most admired about her. Seeing her like that was something he could never predict.

“Magica, do you hear me?” he asked, avoiding touching her.

“Stop annoying me, Scroogie. Let me sleep,” she asked, her voice fading.

“Magica, are you hurt?” he was worried. It was clear that she wasn’t fine.

Ratface flew around her, cawing. The pet raven landed beside Magica, beaking her softly, just to check on her, but she didn’t move. He cawed again, that time for Scrooge, but the duck couldn’t understand a word of what he said. 

“Sorry, Ratface. I can’t understand you.”

The raven’s eyes became three times bigger with surprise. He cowed and crowded again, but no understandable word came out of his mouth. That’s when Scrooge understood what was going on. He probably could understand the bird all that time because of Magica. 

“Magica, what is…” he started, but he couldn’t say another word when he touched her face to discover she was as hot as a volcano herself. And not in a good way.

“Bagpipes! You are burning up, lass.”

Scrooge had to do something. The witch was clearly sick, and he had the feeling that if he did nothing to help she could be dead by the next morning. Scrooge remembered his backpack. Aether was so focused on her vengeance against Magica, that she forgot about him. He still had some things that could be handy in that situation. Scrooge opened the backpack, finding a remaining water bottle. Ripping off the sleeve of his attire, he wetted the fabric and placed it on Magica’s forehead, trying to make her cool down.

“Hold tight, Magica,” he begged her, hoping she would stay strong, as always. 

“Scrooge…” she said, out of herself.

"It's me. I’m here with you. Ratface is also here.”

She didn’t answer, she was already sleeping. Scrooge wet the fabric once again and watched her face as she slept. Magica was suffering, he could see it. That made him wonder what could have happened if he wasn’t there to take care of her and stay by her side. That was better not to think about it. He kept watching her and doing his best to make her cool down until the fever was over. Only when she looked a bit better he could rest, relieved.

Ratface, who stood by his side the whole night, sat above their heads, indicating he would watch Magica the rest of the night, allowing Scrooge to sleep a little. To be honest, Scrooge didn’t want to. He had never taken care of someone who had their magic ripped off like that, so he was afraid something worse than fever could happen when he closed his eyes. But Ratface, knowing the billionaire was apprehensive, flew to Scrooge’s shoulder, and spread his wings to cover his eyes. 

“Thank you, Ratface. You are very faithful to your boss,” he said. 

Ratface was about to answer, but remembering he didn’t have a voice anymore, at least until Magica regained her powers, he just nodded. Scrooge then took the chance to close his eyes for a while. He started to feel the pain from being thrown in that place so rudely by those shadow minions. Scrooge was also tired, so tired that he could sleep for a week. There was no wonder when he fell asleep, still holding Magica’s hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two stubborn minds think better than one.

“Scrooge…”

He heard the sweet female voice in the distance. His dreamless sleep being disturbed.

“Scrooge…”

Once again, the same voice was calling him. It seemed familiar like he had already dreamed about it once. Could it be Goldie? No… His dear Goldie’s voice was like pepper chocolate. Exotic, spicy or sweet and melodic, depending on which memory of her came back to his mind. Could it be Brigitta then? No! Brigitta’s voice was only sweetness, like cotton candy. 

“Scrooge!”

He knew that voice! It was strangely bittersweet. Something sweet and creamy, but with that bitter end, like coffee or dark chocolate. Something like a tiramisu. Weird… What an exquisite sound for a voice! An Italian dessert... Well, there was something Italian in it.

“Magica!” 

Scrooge opened his eyes, remembering the hell of a night they had locked on that dungeon. Magica was the first thing he saw, staring at him with her eyebrows raised.

“Let’s go, Scrooge. No time for sleeping,” she said, looking very well, the complete opposite from the previous night.

“Magica, what happened? Are you okay?”

“Well, let me see… an idiot stole my powers and I’m locked in a dungeon with you and Ratface. What do you think?”

“Stop the rudeness, witch. I got it,” Scrooge rolled his eyes. If Magica was treating him like that again, she was probably fine.

“Good, because it’s time to get out of this place,” she said.

“How? I thought you didn’t have your powers anymore.”

“I don’t. But that never stopped me before!” she said, smirking. “Now Scrooge, I need you.”

“You need me?” he asked, surprised. His heart skipped a beat.

“Of course I do! As much as it pains me to admit, you are an expert in fighting magic. It’s time to use your knowledge in my… our favor at least for this once,” she said. 

He sighed. There she was, the old Magica all over again. 

“What is your plan?”

“Easy… When we met you said you had some garlic. Is that true?” she asked.

“As true as it could be,” he said, taking some off his backpack.

Magica shivered. Those were dreadful things. Garlic… She hated garlic. But for once in her life garlic didn’t seem that bad. Ironically, that thing seemed to be the answer to her problems.

“Wonderful! I’ve never thought that I would thank you for that.”

“Well, this whole situation is a little unthinkable.” 

Magica agreed.

“That’s a good start. We can stop the girl with that.”

“Still we have to find a way to come closer to her. There is not enough to take her down from the distance. Before anything, we must find a way to get out of this prison,” he said.

“Your turn to have a good idea, darling,” she said. 

“Oh, so now setting us free is my responsibility?” he asked, annoyed. He couldn’t believe that, after everything he was doing, she would still demand more, as that situation was his fault. Ungrateful witch!

“You can’t expect me to think about it all. I already had the garlic idea.”

He rolled his eyes. What could he expect from her? Magica was always like that! Mean, selfish, self-absorbed…

“Thank you for helping me last night,” she said, avoiding looking at him. That surprised Scrooge. “Ratface told me what you’ve done.”

“I thought Ratface couldn’t speak anymore,” he said.

“Maybe for you, but I still can understand him. He’s been my familiar for ages. Anyway, I wanted to say I really appreciate what you did. You didn’t have to.”

Magica didn’t want to see his face. She could picture it in a way. She had probably surprised him. She could see his eyes popping out. Then she wondered if he smiled. She liked to think he did. 

“That was nothing. I just helped someone who needed me. It didn’t even cost me a cent.”

“Of course,” she said, hiding a smile. Even though he didn’t have to spend actual money with her, she knew he cared, and that was more important than everything else.

A silence fell into that cell. But none of them were uncomfortable. Actually, if Scrooge had to admit something was that, from all the people he had to share a cell with, Magica was one of the best. She was calm and collected, but also strategic. The way she was dealing with losing her powers was admirable.

Little did he know that it was partly due to his presence there. That was a part of her that believed that by staying by his side she could actually win that time. Scrooge had always succeeded in his life, and she admired him for that. Even without magic powers, he had never given up, always believed in himself, and worked hard to ascend to where he was. Magica knew he would use that brain of his to have a good idea. And she wasn’t wrong.

"That's it!” he said, suddenly rising up. The witch could almost see a lamp bulb turning on above his head.

“What?”

“I had an idea, and if I’m right, we can get out of here and defeat the girl all at once.”

Magica’s eyes sparkled with the perspective of salvation. She knew Scrooge could never fail her.

“Magica, you said before that stealing other witches' powers is forbidden, right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say forbidden. But it’s part of a code. Only the council has the right to do that, and always as a punishment.”

“So you’ve never known about another witch who had her powers stolen as you had.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me of that humiliation,” said Magica, rolling her eyes. 

Scrooge ignored her snarky remark.

“Well, if you don’t know anything about that, I guess neither have that lass.”

“I guess so. But what is your point?” she asked, her patience running short.

“Magica, you are going to die.”

“What?” her jaw dropped. Magica stepped back, and even Ratface flew protectively in front of his mistress. “Scrooge, what are you going to do? Listen, I know we are enemies, but…”

“Stop it, Magica! I’m not gonna kill you! If I wanted you dead, do you think I would spend the whole night taking care of you?”

She thought about it for a while, relaxing and feeling her cheeks turn red. Scrooge didn’t want to kill her! That wasn’t a bad thing to hear.

“I suppose not. So, what is the big idea? I hope you are not expecting me to kill myself. You know I’m not the type.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Magica. You are not going to die for real, you are just pretending to be dead for a while. Considering your acting skills, I think that won’t be difficult for you.”

Magica smirked. She was glad he recognized that. Considering all the anti-witch defenses he had on the money bin, she had to be really creative to get into his office and steal the dime. Disguises were always a big part of her schemes. Pretending to be someone else, or even seducing him, were part of her everyday schemes to put her hands on the dime. Still, she couldn’t understand how her death could take them out of that situation.

“I’m talented, I can’t deny it. But I don’t get what your plan is.”

“Magica, I don’t think Aether wants you dead. If that was the case, she would’ve killed you yesterday, when you were weak, and not thrown you inside this cell with me.”

“Maybe she is just planning to give me a slow and painful death. How can you know?”

“Maybe. Still, if she knew you died, she would want to see it with her own eyes, and that would mean to come here or take you in her presence. That would give you the chance to get closer to her... 

“And use the garlic,” said Magica, smiling. “Scrooge, you are a genius.”

“And you’ve only noticed it now?” he asked, also smirking. “Now, hide some garlic on your clothes. I’ll take one with me for precaution. Lie on the floor, I’m gonna warn them about you.”

“And how do you pretend to do that?” she asked, and eyebrows raised.

“You are not the only one who knows how to act,” he winked.

Magica did as she was told, and waited. She didn’t have much to do, just keep her eyes closed and stay still, waiting for Aether to appear. She heard Scrooge stepping away from her, and then coming back. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders, bringing her to his lap, and hugging her. She held her breath.

“Keep your eyes shut,” he whispered.

She did. Magica was in his arms, listening to his heart beating at a fast pace, and feeling protected. The last thing she wanted was to make a move and ruin all that. Weird… 

“Magica, no, please!” he shouted, his voice choked. “You can’t die! Don’t die! Don’t leave me alone!” 

Oh, God! That was it! He was pretending he was mourning her, and he was quite convincing. Actually, he was so convincing that she even felt her heart shrugging in her chest, and the strange urge to hug him back.

“I’ll take us out of here. I’ll think about something. Please, Magica! You can’t! Don’t die now!”

He kept shouting and hugging her. Anyone would think that was true. He then let her go, and knocked on the door, asking for help. Ratface helped cawing and flying over the bars. Magica stood there, silent, frozen, fighting her curiosity to know what was going on. Scrooge then came back and hugged her again. That was better. It looked like he was sobbing, tears falling over her cheeks and forehead.

“Scroogie, what are you doing?” she murmured, through her teeth.

“Shut up. You are dead.”

“You are exaggerating.” 

“Silence, woman,” he demanded, keeping sobbing over her.

Magica was starting to think Scrooge’s plan had failed. The funny thing was that she wasn’t annoyed to be in his arms. That was quite comfortable. Maybe she could even have a nap or…

“What is going on here?” that was Aether’s voice.

Magica wasn’t sleepy anymore. She was alert. It took a while, but it seemed that Scrooge wasn’t wrong in the end. She kept pretending to be dead, even holding her breath a little.

“Are you happy?” asked Scrooge, a deep voice.

There was no answer.

“Have you got what you wanted?” 

Scrooge seemed angry. He was saying that the same way he did when he cursed Magica every time she managed to put her hands in the dime.

“Is she…” 

Aether’s voice was meek as a mouse. Magica could sense the fear in the girl’s voice. Ha! That excuse of a witch probably wasn’t expecting that.

“Dead,” said Scrooge, placing Magica on the ground, delicately.

“I… I didn’t want to…” said the girl. She was really scared. “I just wanted to…”

“What? What did you possibly want taking someone’s powers like that?”

“I just wanted her to suffer, I didn’t…”

“She suffered! A lot! I spent the whole night over her body, trying to make the fever stop, praying that she would get better, that she would stay alive…”

That sounded true. Magica knew he was pretending and he was trying to make Aether come closer so they would attack her, but the way he said it, what he said, it was just too real. Could that be true for him? Could he have thought about that while taking care of her during the night?

“But she is your enemy… I thought you hated her…”

“Magica? She annoyed me, she scared me and made me lose my mind, but I’ve never hated her.”

Magica was softened. She had to do her best not to smile. 

“She was terrible! She deceived you time after time. She wanted to steal your dime.”

“She challenged me, and that made me better. But now… Now she is...”

“You are lying, I can’t believe it! That old rag might be fooling you! She wouldn’t die like that!” said Aether, desperate.

Magica heard the sound of the prison’s door opening, and Aether’s high heels on the dirty floor. The girl came closer to her, and Magica held her breath. Aether’s thin fingers touched her, Magica could feel the girl’s long nails running along her arm, touching her cheeks. The girl was really buying their act. Magica grabbed the garlic she had been hiding and waited for the right moment.

“Now!” called Scrooge.

Magica raised up, placing the garlic necklace around the young witch’s neck.

“Boo!” said Magica, as Aether stepped behind, startled.

“What… What have you done?” 

Aether looked at Magica and Scrooge, surprised, as the shadows withdrew back to her necklace. She tried to cast a spell, but nothing came out. She tried again, and yet, she was powerless.

“What is going on?”

“You spent so much time trying to get your revenge over me, but it never occurred to you to try the simple...”

“You gotta be kidding me!”

“Why do you think that miser had always won against me? Because I’m weak? Ha! You’ve got a taste of my powers, do you still think I’m weak?” Magica asked, taking the Nyx Amulet out of the girl's neck. 

“Dumb old rag!” Aether took the garlic from her own neck, holding it in her hands. “Two can play this game.”

“You are right,” said the witch, smiling. “But do you know the rules?”

Magica threw the amulet into the air, and Ratface caught it, flying out of the prison cell.

“That’s not fair!” complained Aether.

Magica ran to the outside, where Scrooge waited for her, the keys in his hand, ready to close the door. Ratface gave Magica the amulet.

“Sorry, girl. More luck next time,” Magica waved goodbye, as she walked away with Scrooge. Aether kept calling them, screaming, angry.

“Is she going to be alright?” asked Scrooge, concerned.

“Yeah. I left the keys near the bars. She only has to calm down and develop some observational skills, and off she goes,” said Magica, rolling her eyes.

Magica put on the amulet, absorbing her powers back. That was energizing. The same feeling as eating after starving for days, or recharging the battery of a smartphone.

“How are you feeling?” asked Scrooge, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Better. Way better. It will take a while to get my powers back, but at least I’m not weak or tired anymore,” she said, as they were trying to find their way out of the castle. Without the shadows, it was easier to see the way. Also, the place wasn’t as gloomy as they expected. 

“I’m taking a long bath when I go back to the hotel,” he said, smiling. “I’m too old to sleep in dungeons.”

Magica felt guilty. He got into all of that madness because of her. 

“Thank you, Scrooge. For everything,” she said, smiling tenderly.

“It was my pleasure, Magica. And it also turned into a good adventure!” 

“You could say that,” she smiled. “You know, you would be a good actor. You just needed a bit more practice.”

“Practice? I was perfect!”

“Please, darling! You were too over the top. All that sobbing, and the screams… We have to be grateful that Aether was so stupid, or the plan would’ve never worked out.”

“Bah! It was great. I deserved an Oscar. I even cried!” he said.

“And that’s your problem! Let’s be honest, Scrooge, you would never cry over my dead body like that,” she said, feeling a little sting in her heart when she said that. “Actually, I can picture you throwing a party and dancing over my coffin.”

“Of course not!” he said, looking at her. “A party would be too expensive.”

“Ha-ha. You are SO funny” she said, all sarcasm. She deserved that. What else could she expect from him?

“Honestly, Magica, I don’t want you to die. All I said back there was true. Although we are enemies because of my dime…”

“Yours for now,” she corrected him, and Scrooge laughed.

“Even being your enemy, I don’t hate you. Actually, when we team up like this, I always wonder what could we do if we were allies.”

“You would be even richer, and I would be a poor slave, like your nephew, your secretary, and your butler.”

“I don’t have slaves, I have friends. Why do you think they are faithful to me, even after all those years?”

“So we would be friends?” she asked, secretly liking that idea.

“I guess,” he said, holding some hope.

Magica laughed. 

“That was funny, Scrooge! Me and you, friends…”

She didn’t know why she did that. Maybe she didn’t trust him, maybe out of habit, maybe she was just afraid. The truth was that she regretted saying that as soon as the words left her mouth.

“Yeah, funny…” he agreed, looking away.

They got out of the castle, the sun shining over them. It was a beautiful day, and her powers were finally restored. She magically made a broom appear, surprising Scrooge.

“I see your powers are back,” he said.

"Enough to fly away from here,” she smiled. “Wanna ride?”

“If you could take me back to the car, so I can return it, I would be glad,” he said.

Magica sat on her broom and left some space for Scrooge, who followed her. He didn’t like riding her broom, it was always dangerous and a bit unsettling, but it was definitely better than walking.

“Hold me tight. You don’t want to fall, right?” she warned, and the duck did what she said. He held Magica’s waist, praying for a smooth flight. It was funny how she fitted just fine around his arms.

Magica flew away, high, above the trees and the forest. She was feeling great! Free! She had missed her powers a lot! Scrooge watched her having the time of her life, and although he was frightened, he smiled. That was the Magica he knew and…

“Here we are!” She said, landing. “That’s the car, just where we left it.”

"Thank you.”

“That was the least I could do.”

“I guess I see you around then.”

“Wait,” she said, taking off the necklace, and throwing it to Scrooge, who caught the amulet middle air. “Keep it.”

“But that amulet…”

“You were looking for it, weren’t you? Keep it. I don’t want this dreadful thing anyway.”

“But isn’t it dangerous for you?” he asked, confused. “How do you know I wouldn't use it against you?”

“You won’t,” she shrugged. “You must have some magic to use it.”

“Magica, if this falls in the wrong hands…”

“So don’t let it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Keep it if you want, or throw that away. I don’t care.”

Magica rose above the ground with her broom, flying a few meters over his head. 

Now I have to go, I must start planning my next scheme to steal your dime.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he shouted, but it sounded less of a thread and more of a promise.

He stood watching Magica fly away, a smile in his beak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's how they defeated Aether. Well, she was never a good villain anyways, she just had the right tools.   
> Next chapter is the last one, since I still have some loose ends to tie. More like a prologue, but I hope you stay tuned.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scrooge is back to the hotel

When Scrooge got back to the hotel they were organizing a rescue team to go after him. Donald was having a hard time explaining to the cops what Scrooge looked like, since they couldn’t understand a word, and the boys were trying to help, although they kept nagging between themselves. Everything stopped when Scrooge got out of the rented car, surprising everyone.

“Unca Scrooge!” yelled the kids, running to meet him.

“What is all that about?” he asked.

“We were concerned,” said Donald. “You didn’t come back that day or yesterday, so we thought something could have happened with you.”

“Bah! I’m Scrooge McDuck! What could have happened with me?” he asked, with a brave smile. 

Donald thanked the police officers, and let them go. After all, they weren’t needed anymore. Scrooge’s nephew's concerns were substituted by curiosity. They wanted to know everything about his adventures, and couldn’t even wait to get inside. 

“What happened Unca Scrooge?” asked Louie.

“Why are your clothes like that?” Dewey asked.

“What about the amulet?” That was Huey.

Scrooge grabbed the amulet from his pocket and showed the boys. Doing so he felt his dime was still there. Magica had kept her promise after all.

“That’s the Nyx Sapphire!” said Donald, surprised.

“Of course it is! I said I would find it, and I did.”

“Can I see it?” asked the three boys, trying to reach for it.

“No! That’s too dangerous!” he said, putting it back in his pocket. 

The boys complained, but there was nothing they could do to convince his uncle to let them touch the amulet. 

“Let’s get inside, boys. Uncle Scrooge must be feeling tired now,” said Donald, pushing them to the hotel.

“Oh, I am!”

As his nephews entered the hotel, Scrooge stood behind, to get Magica's hat from the passenger seat. She had forgotten it there and he wondered if he would have the opportunity to give it back to her, maybe over dinner.

Scrooge had just closed the car’s door when he saw Magica flying through a window. He had almost forgotten she had been staying at his hotel. She was dressed in her usual black dress, carrying a purse and with Ratface by her side. Magica had restored her old glory.

Ratface took his time to say goodbye to Scrooge, flying to his shoulder.

“Thank you for your help,” said the raven. “I will be forever grateful”.

Scrooge smiled. Only knowing she was fine was good enough for him.

“Stop wasting time, Ratface! We have to go,” called Magica, rolling her eyes.

The raven flew to her, as Scrooge watched with a foolish smile on his face.

“See you, Scrooge!” She waved.

That’s when he remembered about the hat he had been holding.

“Wait, your hat!” he called, but she was already too far to hear.

He smiled. Maybe he would have to wait to give the hat back another time. Looking at it, the hat wasn’t as atrocious as he thought before. It had some style. 

His thoughts were disturbed by the manager, the same annoying little man he met before, the one who had been spending his money giving free services to the guests. The poor man ran out of the hotel, barely breathing. It was clear that he wasn’t used to exercising. He stopped when he saw Scrooge, his whole face as red as a tomato.

“Mr. Scrooge? You are back!” he said panting.

“Where are you going running like that?” 

“I was going after a guest, sir.”

“A guest?”

“Yes… A... lady…”

Scrooge smiled. He could guess who the man could be talking about.

“Let me guess, black hair, pretty, likes to wear black…”

“That’s the one sir. Have you seen her?” he asked.

“You can say so,” he said, smirking. “Why?”

“She left the hotel without paying, sir.”

“She what?”

“She left without paying.”

Scrooge froze, surprised by the news. That bloody witch!

“MAGICA!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! Thank you guys for reading and leaving kudos!!!!   
> Special thanks to Monkey-Li, not only for commenting on every chapter, but for welcoming me to the ship. I'm sorry I couldn't make Magica and Scrooge kiss this time. But if I do a sequel I promise I'll have you in mind.  
> See ya!


End file.
